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Literacy

 

Intent

At Alkerden CE Academy Nursery, we believe that literacy begins long before children learn to read and write. We aim to foster a lifelong love of books, stories, language and mark making by immersing children in a language-rich, literacy-focused environment where reading, writing and communication are valued every day.

Our literacy curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop the foundations children need to become confident readers and writers. Through high-quality texts, meaningful conversations, imaginative storytelling, systematic phonological awareness and carefully planned opportunities for mark making, children develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for future success in reading and writing.

We recognise that early literacy is underpinned by children's communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Therefore, our curriculum ensures children develop strong speaking and listening skills, secure gross and fine motor control, a love of stories and confidence to express themselves through words, pictures and marks before formal writing is introduced.

As a diverse and inclusive Church of England school, we celebrate the richness of different languages, cultures and experiences, ensuring every child feels represented within the books we share and the stories we tell. We believe every child deserves to see themselves as a reader, storyteller and writer.

Development Matters (2023) – Children aged 3–4 years are learning to:

  • Understand the five key concepts about print:
    • Print has meaning.
    • Print can have different purposes.
    • We read English text from left to right and from top to bottom.
    • The names of the different parts of a book.
    • Page sequencing.
  • Develop phonological awareness by:
    • Spotting and suggesting rhymes.
    • Counting or clapping syllables.
    • Recognising words with the same initial sound.
  • Engage in extended conversations about stories.
  • Use and understand new vocabulary.
  • Develop mark making with increasing control.
  • Use one-handed tools with growing confidence.
  • Give meaning to marks they make.

Our curriculum prepares children to become enthusiastic readers and confident writers as they move into Reception and begin the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme.

Implementation

Literacy is woven throughout every aspect of nursery life. Children experience stories, songs, rhymes, conversation and opportunities to communicate from the moment they enter the classroom. Reading and writing are purposeful, enjoyable and rooted in meaningful experiences.

 

Reading for Pleasure

Developing a love of reading is central to our curriculum.

Children enjoy:

  • Daily story times.
  • High-quality picture books chosen to broaden vocabulary and deepen understanding.
  • Carefully planned book-focused learning linked to curriculum themes.
  • Repeated reading of familiar texts to develop confidence, comprehension and story language.
  • Poetry, nursery rhymes and traditional tales.
  • Independent access to inviting book areas indoors and outdoors.
  • Adults who model enthusiasm for reading and share books with warmth and expression.

Books are carefully selected to:

  • Introduce ambitious vocabulary.
  • Reflect our diverse community.
  • Celebrate different cultures, families and experiences.
  • Inspire curiosity and imagination.
  • Develop children's understanding of the wider world.

Adults explicitly teach story vocabulary including:

  • Author
  • Illustrator
  • Title
  • Character
  • Setting
  • Beginning
  • Middle
  • End
  • Blurb
  • Fiction and non-fiction

Children are encouraged to predict, recall, sequence and discuss stories using increasingly rich language.

 

Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics

We follow Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics, ensuring children develop the essential foundations needed before formal phonics teaching begins in Reception.

Daily opportunities are provided to develop:

  • Careful listening and attention.
  • Environmental sounds.
  • Instrumental sounds.
  • Body percussion.
  • Rhythm and rhyme.
  • Alliteration.
  • Voice sounds.
  • Oral blending.
  • Vocabulary development.
  • Listening and memory skills.

Practitioners model correct pronunciation and create enjoyable opportunities for children to discriminate sounds through games, songs, stories and play.

 

Book-Focused Learning

Our literacy curriculum is centred around carefully chosen high-quality texts that inspire learning across the curriculum.

Each focus book is explored in depth through:

  • Shared reading.
  • Vocabulary teaching.
  • Story mapping.
  • Sequencing events.
  • Drama and role play.
  • Small world play.
  • Creative activities.
  • Discussion and questioning.
  • Opportunities for drawing and emergent writing.

Children revisit texts multiple times, enabling them to become familiar with language patterns, characters and story structures.

 

Helicopter Stories

Children participate in regular Helicopter Stories, where they:

  • Dictate their own stories to an adult.
  • See their spoken language written down.
  • Watch adults model the writing process.
  • Act out stories with their peers.
  • Develop imagination and narrative skills.
  • Learn that spoken words can be written and read back.

This approach develops children's oral language by encouraging them to articulate and organise their ideas into meaningful narratives. As they hear and use new words, their vocabulary grows, and they begin to understand the structure of stories, including how narratives have a beginning, middle and end. Through sharing and acting out their own stories, children develop confidence in expressing themselves, foster their creativity and imagination, and gain an early understanding that spoken language can be captured in print and used to communicate ideas, thoughts and experiences with others.

Every child's ideas are valued, helping them to see themselves as authors.

 

Story Bear

Story Bear, begins visiting children's homes once they have settled into Nursery. Story Bear travels home with a carefully chosen story book and a reading diary, providing families with a special opportunity to share stories together and enjoy reading as part of their home routine. Parents and carers are encouraged to talk about the story with their child and record comments, photographs or memorable experiences and adventures in the diary. When Story Bear returns to Nursery, these shared experiences are celebrated as the diary entries are read aloud to the class, giving children the opportunity to talk about their experiences and build confidence when speaking in front of others. This valued home-school initiative promotes reading for pleasure, strengthens partnerships with families and reinforces the importance of stories and books both at home and within our nursery community.

 

Early Writing

Children develop the physical foundations for writing before being expected to form letters.

We recognise that successful writing begins with secure gross and fine motor development.

Children take part in weekly Write Dance sessions, where large, flowing movements are performed to music in a fun and engaging way. These carefully planned activities strengthen shoulder stability, develop core strength and encourage children to cross the midline, all of which are essential movement patterns that underpin handwriting. Alongside building the physical skills needed for future writing, Write Dance nurtures children's confidence, coordination and enjoyment of movement, ensuring they are physically prepared to become successful writers as they progress through the Early Years.

  • Funky Fingers: As children's gross motor skills become more secure, they take part in daily Funky Fingers activities designed to develop the fine motor skills needed for early writing. Through a range of enjoyable, hands-on activities such as using tweezers and pipettes, threading beads, manipulating peg boards, exploring Dough Disco, fastening keys and locks, engaging in construction play and completing finger gym challenges, children strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers. These carefully planned experiences develop finger dexterity, hand strength, bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination, while gradually improving pencil control. By embedding these activities into the daily routine, children build the physical confidence and precision needed to become independent, successful writers in Reception and beyond.
  • Mark Making: Mark making is valued as an essential stage in children's journey towards becoming confident writers and is embedded throughout all areas of provision. Children are encouraged to make purposeful marks during their play and have access to a wide range of resources, including chalks, paint, clipboards, whiteboards, pens, pencils and natural materials, both indoors and outdoors. Large-scale mark-making opportunities encourage children to experiment with movement and expression, while writing materials are available across the continuous provision so that children can record their ideas, create signs, draw maps, write lists and represent their experiences in meaningful contexts. Practitioners celebrate every mark that children make, recognising that these early representations are significant. Through thoughtful interactions, adults encourage children to talk about their drawings and emergent writing, helping them to give meaning to their marks and reinforcing the understanding that writing is a powerful way to communicate ideas, thoughts and experiences.
  • Language of the Term:Our Language of the Term reflects the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of our school community, with the chosen language often representing those spoken by our children and families. Key words and greetings are displayed throughout the learning environment and woven into daily routines, enabling children to see and hear different languages used in meaningful contexts. This approach promotes a sense of belonging and inclusion, encourages respect for different cultures and traditions, and sparks children's curiosity about the wider world. It also helps children to understand that language and print have meaning across many cultures, fostering an appreciation of diversity while celebrating the unique backgrounds and experiences of our school community.

 

Strategies to Support Literacy

Practitioners consistently:

  • Read aloud several times every day.
  • Explicitly teach ambitious vocabulary.
  • Model enjoyment of books and storytelling.
  • Re-read favourite stories to build comprehension.
  • Use open-ended questioning to deepen understanding.
  • Encourage children to retell stories using props and story maps.
  • Value children's own stories through Helicopter Stories.
  • Develop phonological awareness through Little Wandle Foundations.
  • Strengthen physical development through Write Dance, Dough Disco and Funky Fingers.
  • Provide meaningful opportunities to mark make throughout continuous provision.
  • Work closely with families to promote reading at home through Story Bear and shared reading.
  • Adapt provision to support children with English as an Additional Language and those with emerging speech, language or communication needs.

Impact

By the time children leave Alkerden CE Academy Nursery, they are enthusiastic readers, imaginative storytellers and confident emergent writers who understand that books, stories and print carry meaning. They choose to share books independently, listen attentively to stories and talk confidently about what they have heard, using an increasingly rich and ambitious vocabulary. Through repeated exposure to high-quality texts and storytelling experiences, children are able to retell familiar stories, understand how books are organised and recognise key features such as the title, author and characters.

Children develop strong listening and attention skills and secure phonological awareness, enabling them to recognise rhyme, rhythm and initial sounds, as well as identify environmental and speech sounds. Through regular participation in Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics, they build the essential foundations needed for the systematic teaching of phonics in Reception.

Children also develop confidence as storytellers and communicators through Helicopter Stories, where they create, dictate and perform their own narratives, gaining an understanding that their spoken words can be captured in writing and shared with others. Alongside this, the emphasis placed on physical development through Write Dance, Dough Disco and Funky Fingers ensures that children develop the strength, coordination and control needed for early writing. They make purposeful marks, confidently give meaning to their drawings and writing, and approach mark making with increasing independence and enjoyment.

The impact of our literacy curriculum is evident in children's curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm for books, stories and writing. They leave Nursery with the confidence and foundational knowledge required to access the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme in Reception and are well prepared for the next stage of their literacy journey.

We know our literacy curriculum is successful because children demonstrate a genuine enjoyment of books and storytelling, use an increasingly broad vocabulary in their play and conversations, and show clear progression in their narrative skills through Helicopter Stories. Strong partnerships with families are reflected in the engagement with Story Bear, where shared reading experiences are celebrated and valued. Ongoing observations, Development Matters assessments, learning journeys, floor books and examples of children's emergent writing provide evidence of sustained progress from individual starting points. Together, these demonstrate that children leave Alkerden CE Academy Nursery as confident, curious and capable learners who have the secure foundations needed to become successful readers and writers.

Further Resources